Thyagaraja Kriti - Nagu Momu Kana Leni - Raga Abheri

Transliteration–Telugu _______________________________________________________
Transliteration as per Modified Harvard-Kyoto (HK) Convention
(including Telugu letters – Short e, Short o) -

a A i I u U
R RR lR lRR
e E ai o O au M (H or :)

(e – short E – Long o – short O – Long)

k kh g gh n/G
c ch j jh n/J (jn – as in jnAna)
T Th D Dh N
t th d dh n
p ph b bh m
y r l L v
S sh s h

nagu mOmu kana lEni-AbhEri

In the kRti ‘nagumOmu kanalEni’ -rAga AbhEri, SrI tyAgarAja seems to assume the bhAva of vibhIshaNa requesting the Lord to give him refuge.

P nagu mOmu kana lEni nA jAli telisi
nannu ¹brOva rAdA SrI raghuvara nI (nagu)

A naga rAja dhara nIdu parivArul(e)lla
²ogi bOdhana jEsE vAralu kArE(y)³aTul(u)NDudurE nI (nagu)

C ⁴khaga rAju nI(y)Anati vini vEga cana lEDO
gaganAnik(i)laku bahu dUramb(a)ninADO
⁵jagam(E)lE paramAtma ⁶evaritO moral(i)Dudu
vaga jUpaku tALanu nann(E)lukOrA tyAgarAja nuta nI (nagu)

Gist
O SrI raghuvara! O Lord who bore mandara mountain on His back! O Supreme Lord who rules the universe! O Lord praised by this tyAgarAja!
Realising my plight of being unable to behold Your smiling face, can’t You protect me?
Aren’t all those in Your retinue the ones who render proper advice to You? would they remain (unconcerned) like that?
Didn’t garuDa proceed fast or quickly hearing your command? or, did he say that it is much distance from vaikuNTha to the earth? With whom else shall I complain? don’t cite pretexts; I can’t bear it; please govern me.

Word-by-word Meaning

P O SrI raghuvara! realising (telisi) my (nA) plight (jAli) of being unable (lEni) to behold (kana) Your (nI) smiling (nagu) face (mOmu), can’t (rAdA) You protect (brOva) me (nannu)?

A O Lord who bore (dhara) mandara - king (rAja) of mountains (naga) on His back!
Aren’t (kArE) all (ella) those in Your (nIDu) retinue (parivArulu) (parivArulella) the ones (vAralu) who render (jEsE) proper (ogi) advice (bOdhana) to You? would they remain (uNDudurE) (unconcerned) like that (aTulu) (kArEyaTuluNDudurE)?
O SrI raghuvara! realising my plight of being unable to behold Your (nI) smiling face, can’t You protect me?

C Didn’t (lEDO) garuDa – King (rAju) of birds (khaga) - proceed (cana) fast or quickly (vEga) hearing (vini) your (nI) command (Anati) (nIyAnati)?
or, did he (garuDa) say (aninADO) that it is much (bahu) distance (dUrambu) (dUrambaninADO) from vaikuNTha (gagananiki) (literally sky) to the earth (ilaku) (gaganAnikilaku)?
O Supreme Lord (paramAtmA) who rules (ElE) the universe (jagamu) (jagamElE)! With whom else (evaritO) shall I (nE) complain (moralu iDudu) (moraliDudu)?
don’t cite (jUpaku) (literally show) pretexts (vaga); I can’t bear it (tALanu); please govern (ElukOrA) me (nannu) (nannElukOrA);
O Lord praised (nuta) by this tyAgarAja! O SrI raghuvara! realising my plight of being unable to behold Your (nI) smiling face, can’t You protect me?

Notes –
Variations
¹ – brOva rAdA – brOvaga rAdA.
³ – aTuluNDudurE – aTuluNDudurA - iTuluNDadurA. The word ‘aTulu’ (that way) or ‘iTulu’ (this way) does not make much difference. However, the word ‘uNDudurE’ meaning ‘they will be like this’ and ‘uNDadurA’ meaning ‘it won't be like this’ are diametrically opposite.
In keeping with the previous phrase ‘ogi bOdhana jEsE vAralu kArE’ which is interrogatory, the context demands a question ‘would they be like this?’ Therefore, 'uNDudurE seem to be appropriate. The version 'aTuluNDadurA', (it won’t be like this) involves a change in the gender – from masculine plural to neuter singular. Therefore, it may not be appropriate.
⁶ – evaritO – evaritO nE.

References
⁴ - khaga rAju - The episode of gajEndra mOkshaM is implied here. As soon as the cry of gajEndra ‘O AdimUlaM’ was heard, the Lord immediately rushed on garuDa and saved gajEndra. Therefore, SrI tyAgarAja ridicules SrI rAma whether in his case garuDa has feigned his inability to take the Lord.

Comments -
² – ogi – There are two similar words in telugu – ‘Ogi’ meaning ‘duly’ and ‘Ogu’ meaning ‘evil’, ‘wicked’; However, in all books, it is given as 'ogi' (short 'o'). Here, the word ‘ogi’ with meaning ‘duly’ has been adopted.
² – bOdhana – this word has both positive and negative meanings. Accompanied by words like ‘tattva’ (tattva bOdhana) it will give positive meaning - ‘philosophical teaching’. On the other hand, when preceded by words like ‘evari’ (evari bOdhana), this will give a negative meaning – whose instigation. Therefore, in this case, the previous word being ‘duly’, ‘bOdhana’ has been taken in a positive sense as ‘advice’.
² – ogi bOdhana jEsE vAralu kArE – Taking meaning ‘due advice’ for (ogi bOdhana), if the remaining words of translated as it is, it would simply mean, ‘they (Your retinue) are not the ones who would give due advice’. However, taking caraNa where garuDa’s case is cited, such a meaning militates against the sense of the kRti. Therefore, this is not an affirmative sentence, but interrogatory. Accordingly, if we translate, this would mean ‘Aren’t the people of Your retinue the ones who give due advice?’.
⁵ - jagamElE paramAtma - How is it possible for the Lord who wields power over the whole universe would not to know the plight of an individual? - this is what SrI tyAgarAja asks. Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa would say ‘The mother is happy till the child is busy playing. But the moment she hears the cry of the child – either due to hunger or some other reason, she hurries to take care of the child’. In the kRti ‘sItA nAyaka’ – rAga rItigauLa, SrI tyAgarAja states ‘ingitamerigi...brOcu ... dora’ – Lord who protects understanding the indications or intentions (of the devotees).

The great harikathA exponent Sri TS Balakrishna Sastrigal attributes this kRti to the episode of vibhIshaNa’s surrender. This kRti does not name vibhIshaNa but all the circumstances aptly describe the episode. It is as if vibhIshaNa sang this kRti hearing which, the Lord declared his vow which is considered as SaraNAgati SAstRa by bhaktAs (vAlmIki rAmAyaNa – yuddha kaNDa) -

sakRdEva prapannAya tavAsmIti ca yAcatE
abhayaM sarva bhUtEbhyO dadAmi Etat vrataM mama XVIII -33

“To him, who comes to me, even once, yearning for protection (from me) saying ‘I am yours’, I vouchsafe his security against all living beings; such is my vow.”

Devanagari Version

ऎ,कॆ,चॆ.. - e,ke,ce..(short);
ए,के,चे.. - E,kE,cE..(long);
ऐ,कै,चै.. - ai,kai,cai..;
ऒ,कॊ,चॊ.. - o,ko,co..(short);
ओ,को,चो.. - O,kO,cO..(long);
औ,कौ,चौ.. -au,kau,cau..;

प. नगु मोमु कन लेनि ना जालि तॆलिसि
नन्नु ब्रोव रादा श्री रघुवर नी (नगु)

अ. नग राज धर नीदु परिवारु(लॆ)ल्ल
ऒगि बोधन जेसे वारलु कारे(य)टु(लु)ण्डुदुरे नी (नगु)

च. खग राजु नी(या)नति विनि वेग चन लेडो
गगनानि(कि)लकु बहु दूर(म्ब)निनाडो
जग(मे)ले परमात्म ऎवरितो मॊर(लि)डुदु
वग जूपकु ताळनु न(न्ने)लुकोरा त्यागराज नुत नी (नगु)


Tamil Version with Meaning

க,ச,ட,த,ப - 2-ख छ ठ थ फ; 3-ग ड द ब; 4-घ झ ढ ध भ
(ச3 - ஜ)
ஸ1 श - शिव - சிவன்
ரு2 ऋ - कृप - கிருபை

ப. நகு3 மோமு கன லேனி நா ஜாலி தெலிஸி
நன்னு ப்3ரோவ ராதா3 ஸ்ரீ ரகு4வர நீ (நகு3)

அ. நக3 ராஜ த4ர நீது3 பரிவாரு(லெ)ல்ல
ஒகி3 போ3த4ன ஜேஸே வாரலு காரே(ய)டு(லு)ண்டு3து3ரே நீ (நகு3)

ச. க2க3 ராஜு நீ(யா)னதி வினி வேக3 சன லேடோ3
க3க3னானி(கி)லகு ப3ஹு தூ3ரம்(ப3)னினாடோ3
ஜக3(மே)லே பரமாத்ம எவரிதோ மொர(லி)டு3து3
வக3 ஜூபகு தாளனு நன்(னே)லுகோரா த்யாக3ராஜ நுத நீ (நகு3)

உனது சிரித்த முகத்தினைக் காணவியலாத எனது துயரறிந்து,
என்னைக் காக்கலாகாதா, இரகுவரா?

மந்தர மலை சுமந்தோனே! உனது பரிவாரத்தினர் யாவரும்
முறையான அறிவுரை வழங்குபவரன்றோ?
அவ்விதமிருப்பரோ?
உனது சிரித்த முகத்தினைக் காணவியலாத எனது
துயரறிந்து, என்னைக் காக்கலாகாதா, இரகுவரா?

புள்ளரசன் உனதாணையைக் கேட்டு, விரைந்து
செல்லவில்லையோ? ஆகாயத்திலிருந்து புவிக்கு
வெகு தூரமென்றானோ? உலகத்தினையாளும்
பரம்பொருளே! எவரிடம் முறையிடுவேன்?
போக்குக் காட்டாதே; தாளேன்; என்னையாள்வாய்;
தியாகராசனால் போற்றப்பெற்றோனே!
உனது சிரித்த முகத்தினைக் காணவியலாத எனது
துயரறிந்து, என்னைக் காக்கலாகாதா, இரகுவரா?

புள்ளரசன் - கருடன்
ஆகாயம் - வைகுண்டத்தினைக் குறிக்கும்


Telugu Version

ప. నగు మోము కన లేని నా జాలి తెలిసి
నన్ను బ్రోవ రాదా శ్రీ రఘువర నీ (నగు)

అ. నగ రాజ ధర నీదు పరివారులెల్ల
ఒగి బోధన జేసే వారలు కారేయటులుండుదురే నీ (నగు)

చ. ఖగ రాజు నీయానతి విని వేగ చన లేడో
గగనానికిలకు బహు దూరంబనినాడో
జగమేలే పరమాత్మ ఎవరితో మొరలిడుదు
వగ జూపకు తాళను నన్నేలుకోరా త్యాగరాజ నుత నీ (నగు)


Kannada Version

ಪ. ನಗು ಮೋಮು ಕನ ಲೇನಿ ನಾ ಜಾಲಿ ತೆಲಿಸಿ
ನನ್ನು ಬ್ರೋವ ರಾದಾ ಶ್ರೀ ರಘುವರ ನೀ (ನಗು)

ಅ. ನಗ ರಾಜ ಧರ ನೀದು ಪರಿವಾರುಲೆಲ್ಲ
ಒಗಿ ಬೋಧನ ಜೇಸೇ ವಾರಲು ಕಾರೇಯಟುಲುಂಡುದುರೇ ನೀ (ನಗು)

ಚ. ಖಗ ರಾಜು ನೀಯಾನತಿ ವಿನಿ ವೇಗ ಚನ ಲೇಡೋ
ಗಗನಾನಿಕಿಲಕು ಬಹು ದೂರಂಬನಿನಾಡೋ
ಜಗಮೇಲೇ ಪರಮಾತ್ಮ ಎವರಿತೋ ಮೊರಲಿಡುದು
ವಗ ಜೂಪಕು ತಾಳನು ನನ್ನೇಲುಕೋರಾ ತ್ಯಾಗರಾಜ ನುತ ನೀ (ನಗು)


Malayalam Version

പ. നഗു മോമു കന ലേനി നാ ജാലി തെലിസി
നന്നു ബ്രോവ രാദാ ശ്രീ രഘുവര നീ (നഗു)

അ. നഗ രാജ ധര നീദു പരിവാരുലെല്ല
ഒഗി ബോധന ജേസേ വാരലു കാരേയടുലുണ്ഡുദുരേ നീ (നഗു)

ച. ഖഗ രാജു നീയാനതി വിനി വേഗ ചന ലേഡോ
ഗഗനാനികിലകു ബഹു ദൂരമ്ബനിനാഡോ
ജഗമേലേ പരമാത്മ എവരിതോ മൊരലിഡുദു
വഗ ജൂപകു താളനു നന്നേലുകോരാ ത്യാഗരാജ നുത നീ (നഗു)

Updated on 09 Dec 2008